The Real Story of the American Revolution 

Drills, Flags, Uniforms, and Weapons

Latest Changes: 07Aug25 - RevWar calendar / 07Oct15 - drummers, Steuben's Drill Manual, video of drill / 08Apr02 - Arms Makers of Colonial America /

Flags of the Revolutionary War  The 13 Stars and Stripes: a Survey of 18th Century Images, by David Martucci, displays the original images of about fifty 13-star flags of the Revolutionary period, indicating the date and place depicted in the image and where the original images are archived.

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Lt. Col. Henry Lee (of VA) Continental Cavalry illustration by Robert Wilson [Ninety Six Nat.Historic Site]

Uniforms  Introduction to Uniforms of the American Army      [California Society, Sons of the Revolution] 65 Drawings of Uniforms for Specific Units      [California Society, Sons of the Revolution] The New Jersey Soldier      [pamphlet, NJ Hist. Comm.'s Bicentennial series] See also Buying or Making Your Own Uniform Print Resources: Rhode Island Uniforms in the Revolution*, by Anne S. K. Brown. Military Collector and Historian, 10 (Spring 1958), pp. 1-10.

On the 5th of July, 1775, a resolve was passed to provide each of the non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the army authorized to be raised under resolve of April 23, 1775, with a coat, and 13,000 were ordered to be provided by the towns and districts, in accordance with a regular apportionment. This gift of a coat was considered in the nature of a bounty, and later, at the time of their distribution, the men in service were permitted to choose between acceptance of the coat or a sum of money in lieu thereof.      [Source: Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors of the Revolutionary War      (Boston: Wright and Potter, 1896) 1:xvi].

Shelters, Rations, Women in Camp, transcriptions by John Rees [RevWar75.com]

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Weapons and Drills  === Artillery === Iron ores were found in many regions of the Emerican colonies, and furnaces were established in many states to mix and fire iron ore, limestone, and charcoal. Many furnaces in America were established with financial backing from investors in Great Britain. By 1750 the British Parliament passed the Iron Act, prohibiting the colonies from manufacturing anything other than pig iron (unfinished blocks of iron). This act was very unpopular with the furnace owners, and -- lacking an army of inspectors backed by an army to enforce it -- it was widely ignored. By 1776 the American colonies were producing more iron than Great Britain was. Although the Americans had no experience or practice in making either cannnon or cannon balls, they turned their attention to this even before the Declaration of Independence was signed. In New Jersey there were furnaces near Ringwood, Pompton, West Point, and Batsto. The furnaces at Warwick and Reading PA also made munitions for the patriot cause. Springfield MA was designated as the main facility to produce cannon for the Continental Army. The furnace in Hopewell PA cast cannon shot and 115 naval cannon before 1778, when the military alliance with France was signed and large numbers of French cannon became available. Cannon cast at Hopewell were used on the Continental Navy frigates Randolph and Delaware. Hopewell's role in the American Revolution [National Park Service]. Artillery of the American Revolution [AmericanRevolution.org] provides a good overview with some graphics and an extensive list of print resources. === Muskets and Rifles === Weapons of the Revolution [John Robertson] is an annotated collection of links to photos and discussions of the weapons used by both sides in the Revolution. Arms Makers of Colonial America, by James B. Whisker (Susquehanna Univ. Press, 1992) is posted in part (and for sale) on Google Books. Weapons of the U.S. Continentals [NPS Guilford Courthouse site] The Springfield Armory in Masssachusetts) was the principal site for manufacturing rifles for the army from 1794 to 1968. Early models were based on the French Charleville model used during the American Revolution. The Armory is now a museum [National Park Service]. Tactics and Weapons of the Revolutionary War [Glenn Valis] === Swords and Bayonets === Presentation Swords [Sons of Liberty Chap, CASSAR] Washington's Swords [Sons of Liberty Chap, CASSAR]

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